How Medical Conditions, Prescriptions Bump Premiums

By Author: Marcus Stalder
Total Articles: 491
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With all the research going on, we often think we know exactly what causes collisions and what makes us safe drivers. Cells phones, alcohol, and smoking are all big no-gos. Research shows that talking to passengers actually makes you a safer driver, but phone conversations do the opposite. But what do you know about medical impairments and their influence on driving and insurance prices?

If you knowingly drive with a dangerous medical condition, impairment, or intoxication...

you could wind up getting huge rate hikes, getting your coverage dropped, or even being prosecuted. This includes alcohol, obviously, since blood-alcohol levels at .08 or more are barred in every state in the US, but the side effects of medications count too.
Think about all the impairments medicines can cause:

* Fatigue
* Drowsiness
* Blurred Vision
* Reduced Reaction Time
* Fainting
* Slower Awareness

Prescription Drugs

The reason illicit drugs and prescriptions are both called "drugs" is that they alter body and brain chemistry. They can both cause mental distortion ...
... - legal and necessary or not. Your judgement, reactions, and behavior is irregular. Literally speaking, you aren't quite yourself.

A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that as 1/3 of fatal collisions involved drivers with drugs in their bodies.

Narcotic Painkillers

* Impair sensory perception
* ause drowsiness

The same is true of anxiety meds, muscle relaxants, antihistamines, and allergy drugs.
Tip: Avoid driving while using these until you are sure of and used to how these drugs affect you - especially your focus.

Sleeping Pills

* Severe drowsiness
* Impaired judgement
* Slower reaction times

Even when you have slept a full sleep and feel okay, realize that the effects may last 12 hours. You have to wait a whole half day before driving after taking sleep drugs like Ambien, otherwise you risk drifting off at the wheel.
Medical Conditions

The vast majority of insurance providers do not ask for information regarding your existing medical conditions, and you definitely won't have to put anything down to get car insurance quotes. Still, certain conditions can harm your driving record. Even if you manage to escape being declared negligent or unfit to drive a motor vehicle, you might find yourself getting into more accidents. And the more frequent your claims and crashes are, the higher your premiums may go. If you're unlucky, your policy might even be canceled once you are seen as high risk.

Diabetics and people with hypoglycemia should be especially careful, since blood sugar problems can cause:

* Drowsiness
* Fainting
* Seizures

Sleep apnea is also a problem, because it leads to:

* Uncontrollable sleepiness
* Poor judgement
* Decreased reaction time

Epilepsy can be a huge concern, because chronic seizures mean you are high risk for traffic accidents and serious injuries to yourself and others. Wearing a helmet won't help that.

Once again, none of these things will appear on your car insurance quotes or even your actual rate calculations through your insurance provider, but they are there are on your record nonetheless, causing your rates to fly up.

Try using car insurance quotes to find better insurance prices if you have an accident history.